The mighty Skagit River supports all of Washington’s native salmon and trout species, including about 60 percent of the state’s wild Chinook salmon. It’s upriver sloughs and backwater areas provide important freshwater spawning and rearing habitat for anadromous fish like salmon and steelhead. Two of TNC’s preserves along the Skagit are involved in a multi-phase restoration project being implemented by Skagit River System Cooperative (natural resource management for the Sauk-Suiattle and Swinomish Tribes) along with land owned by Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife and Seattle City Light.

This summer, SRSC completed phase one of the project! This phase included the removal of old steelhead hatchery infrastructure and removal of rearing pond dikes, opening flow to a portion of Barnaby Reach that has been blocked since the early 1960’s. I went out to see the construction in progress and was struck by just how much work was being done in the area. It looked like a completely different place as the construction crew erased the old infrastructure.

After the construction work, mats and wattles were set out to prevent sediment-laden runoff and we entered the sit and wait period. It will take some time for the site to re-vegetate and settle back into its old ways of being. 

In early November, we received an update from SRSC’s research scientist on the project. Coho had started to spawn in the east end of the slough! When salmon spawn, the female dislodges gravel with her tail to dig a small hollow for egg-laying. This creates a visible “clean” spot in the gravel bed called a redd. Observers documented adult salmon on two separate surveys and photographed a nice clear redd. SRSC researchers are eager to get out and assess the condition of the slough after the intense flooding earlier this month. 

It was nice of the salmon to show us almost immediately that this habitat was needed and that they were going to use it. But, seriously this is really encouraging. Stay tuned for more updates on this incredibly important salmon work in the upper Skagit.

By Sunny Wang, University of Washington News Lab

The Nature Conservancy is working on a new and creative forest restoration project on Cle Elum Ridge, called the “How Go Unit,” within the Central Cascades Forest. This “selective thinning” project will reduce fire risk, create healthy forests and support recreational access and natural habitat.

The How Go Unit is a 340-acre experimental site near the towns of Roslyn, Cle Elum and Ronald and is part of the nearly 38,000 acres of Central Cascades Forest land managed by The Nature Conservancy. TNC is ensuring that its forestry practices conserve wildlife habitat, restore watersheds and increase community resilience—the Forest Stewardship Council has certified TNC’s forestry work at the How Go Unit (FSC certification is the highest industry standard for sustainable timber harvest). 

“This is really cutting-edge forestry work,” Darcy Batura, forest partnerships manager of The Nature Conservancy, said. “We’re ensuring that we’re meeting the highest standards for sustainability and we believe this project is a model for forest management that can be applied to small-scale forests in Washington and throughout the Western United States.”

Batura is a resident of Roslyn, and she said that these small mountain communities have suffered recently as a result of wildfire. TNC is working to avoid future wildfire disasters by helping to build community capacity to restore the forest and build resilience to climate change impacts like wildfire.

Fire is a natural ecological process. However, fire suppression and exclusion over the last century have made forests dense and susceptible to wildfire. Pests, disease, drought and climate change are exacerbating the problems. Prescribed burning helps to clean up forest floors and nourish the soil. With more open space, trees gain more access to sunlight, nutrients and can grow larger and more resilient to fire.

In a dense forest, fire is fueled by packed trees and vegetation. The plants and small-diameter trees act as “ladders” for fire to climb up to the crown and potentially turn it into a severe wildfire. In 2017, the Jolly Mountain Fire near Roslyn burned more than 37,000 acres of forest land and put thousands of residents in the region on urgent evacuation notice. 

“We have not had natural, low-intensity fire on this landscape for over a hundred years,” Kyle Smith, forest manager of The Nature Conservancy of Washington, said. “The thinning and prescribed fire helps to mimic the natural processes…so when we have a fire, it doesn’t kill all the trees due to the lower severity. They are smaller ground fires and more natural.”

Selective tree thinning is a start for restoring forests to historical conditions. By only removing selected small-diameter trees and leaving some larger trees with diverse spacing (clumps, openings and individual large trees) foresters are reducing the density of the trees and returning the forest to a more natural state. A “masticator” machine is also used to “chew up” small brush and further reduce the fuels that could possibly stoke a large wildfire.

In the coming years, TNC and partners will use prescribed fire to make the forest healthier while reducing the fuels that would cause a large wildfire and improve the safety of the nearby communities.

At the “How Go Unit,” foresters create an inventory about the forest, including acres, species, tree height, etc. Based on the information, a prescription is made and sent to contractors for selective cutting.

Herman Flamenco, conservation forester for The Nature Conservancy, spends days on site to observe and evaluate conditions of the forest for making prescriptions. While reducing forest density, the prescription ensures to maintain special features on the land. For example, a snag, which is a large dead tree, will be left uncut and serve as a potential shelter for animals.

When making these decisions, foresters and managers put both forestry knowledge and creativity into consideration. Flamenco believes there is much to learn from these innovative practices.

“It is a lot like art and science combined,” Smith said.

With the ongoing project, TNC prioritizes hiring local loggers, contractors and workers. The goal is to support the local natural resource economy. As the land is restored to its natural state, communities and smaller businesses can benefit from an increase in tourism and recreational use. However, in the short term, this work relies on patience and collaboration from the snowmobilers, skiers, hikers and mountain bikers who enjoy this land. Residents have been supportive and have followed signs to avoid the treatment site. TNC works to balance active forest restoration with recreational opportunities for residents and visitors.

“We’re committed to keeping this private land open to recreational use,” Katie Pofahl, community relations manager for The Nature Conservancy said. “And it’s really important that these users pay attention to the occasional closures caused by logging and prescribed burns for their safety and the success of this critical forest restoration work.”

For example, this winter, the How Go thinning work will close Alliance Road, a seasonal snowmobile and hiking trail. Logging trucks on snow and ice make this an unsafe area for winter recreation.

“By protecting and restoring our forest, ” Batura said, “We are maintaining the region’s natural heritage and bringing value to the nearby communities through access to recreation, clean water, safety from wildfire and jobs.”

Learn More About Our Work in the Central Cascades

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DJI has announced the Ronin 4D, a new cinematography camera system sporting a full-frame sensor, 4-axis in-body image stabilization, liDAR focusing and wireless video transmission capability.

Who’s it for

Targeted squarely at professional and advanced cinematographers, the Ronin 4D aims to improve the efficiency of high-end video productions. And it has a price tag to go along with these aspirations.

Video capability

The system comes in two flavors, an 8K and a 6K configuration. Both make use of a new and proprietary chipset called CineCore 3.0. And according to DJI, this allows for both 6K and 8K Raw video capture “with precise color reproduction, advanced assistive functions with a high-performance AI engine, and multi-link monitoring and control with low-latency image processing.”

Both versions of the Ronin 4D can capture footage internally, in a variety of codecs including the standard H.264 codec, as well as Apple ProRes and ProRes RAW. The 6K version can shoot up to 4K/120p and 6K/60p. The 8K version offers the same, as well as capture up to 8K/75p.

Zenmus 9 camera

The camera behind the system is the new full-frame Zenmuse X9 gimbal camera. Both Ronin 4D options will be available in either DJI’s proprietary DL-mount or Leica M-mount. No word yet on whether the system will be offered in other mounts.

The sensor behind the Zenmuse 9X is dual gain, meaning it can capture both a high and low ISO at the same time, for improved video quality. This particular sensor is capable of dual ISO 800 and ISO 5000 and can pump out up to 14-stops of dynamic range, according to DJI.

And for scenes with very bright light, the Ronin 4D offers 9 different levels of built-in neutral density filters.

4-axis image stabilization

DJI is calling the Ronin 4D the world’s first 4-axis cinema camera. Of course, 3-axis in-body image stabilization is nothing new, a ton of still cameras on the market offer it, including the Fujifilm X-T4 and Sony a1. These 3-axis systems correct for pitch, yaw and tilt. But the Ronin 4D’s 4-axis system also corrects for vertical movement along the Z-axis, i.e. camera shake.

Not only that, the unit has a range of sensors on board, to help keep things steady including a barometer as well as forward and downward visual sensors (similar to what you’d find on a DJI drone). All this should result in incredibly smooth handheld footage.

LiDAR focusing

As if all this impressive tech wasn’t enough, the Ronin 4D also makes use of laser-based autofocusing. DJI’s LiDAR Range Finder works by continually generating precise subject distance measurements. The system cast 32,300 points as far as 33 ft out, to find and track subjects. And DJI promises it works quickly and precisely, even in very low light.

Of course, the Ronin 4D can also be used in manual focus mode.

Wireless transmission

We mentioned the unit is aimed at pro filmmakers. And the ability to monitor a camera feed remotely is something many production crews value. The Ronin 4D can output Full HD footage at up to 60fps to remote monitors up to 20,000 feet away. Whoa. Transmitted footage can also be encrypted. And DJI promises extremely low latency in the transmission feed.

Battery, storage and audio

Ronin 4D is powered by the same battery as the Ronin 2, DJI’s TB50 Intelligent Battery. It promises up to 2.5 hours of footage capture, even in extreme temperatures.

Footage can be captured to USB SSD storage, CFexpress Type-B cards or DJI’s own proprietary PROSSD (DJI says this method delivers the best performance, because, well, of course they do).

For audio, the Ronin 4D offers a built-in 2-channel microphone. There are also two 3.5mm audio input jacks on the body as well as 2 XLR inputs.

Accessory monitor

DJI is also launching a new 7-inch monitor to go along with the Ronin 4D (though it works with third-party monitors too). The DJI High-Bright Remote Monitor can be used remotely/wirelessly to view footage or to control the camera entirely. It’s also compatible with a variety of DJI accessories. And offers a built-in SD card slot to capture proxy footage.

Price and availability

The Ronin 4D 6K version ships in December for $7,200. The package includes the Zenmuse X9–6K gimbal camera, LiDAR Range Finder, High-Bright Main Monitor, Hand Grips, a Top Handle, TB50 Intelligent Battery and a carrying case.

The Ronin 4D 8K version ships at “a later date” for $11,500. That package includes the Zenmuse X9-8K gimbal camera and a PROSSD 1TB (along with, presumably, the same accessories mentioned with the 6K version).

The post DJI’s new Ronin 4D is an 8K cinema camera system for pro videographers appeared first on Popular Photography.

Having quality and professional product photos makes a big difference in how customers perceive your brand.

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While post-production is essential, quality product photos start with your shoot. In this article, we’ll look at how to make the most of your shoot by choosing the right colors for your background. We’ll also share a few best practices to help get your product photos to the finish line looking great and ready to wow your customers.

In this article:

• Why color matters
• What color is your product?
• Additional considerations for choosing the color for your product background
• What is the best color for your product background?
• Post-production essentials
• Adding backgrounds after the shot

Why color matters

Photos are your opportunity to showcase your products and tell your brand’s story. What better way to do so than using color to evoke the right mood and feel? Color can take an otherwise ordinary product and make it pop off the page.

According to one survey, more than three-quarters online shoppers rate product photos as very influential on their online purchase decision. Throwing together product photos with a background color that doesn’t mix puts you at a disadvantage from the start.

Not only does color help display your products more distinctly on the web and in catalogs, it also has a subconscious effect on people’s moods.

“Color is one of the most powerful tools to express emotions. Studies of involuntary physical reactions, such as eye movements, brain activity, and heart rate have shown that when we see colors, they trigger a very rapid and strong reaction. Colors communicate with us on an unconscious and non-verbal level,” writes Monika Lindquist, marketing strategist at market research firm Straylight.

Using color strategically, you can evoke the emotions you want your shoppers to feel when interacting with your brand and products. While often an afterthought in marketing and business, color can go a long way in influencing your customers and ultimately play a role in how they relate to you and your brand.

The right color combinations will not only help you highlight your product features, but the right color background can really make your products come to life. According to research conducted at the Seoul International Color Expo 92.6% of respondents believe visual factors are the most important when purchasing products.

Furthermore, 22% of returns occur because the product looks different in person than it did in the photos. The colors you choose for your shoot aren’t just to make your product look good — they show shoppers exactly what they can expect from their order.

Understanding the role color plays allows you to make the right decisions for your shoot, but how can you choose the right background for your product photos? That depends on a variety of factors.

What color is your product?

When deciding on your background color, one of the most important things to consider the color or colors of your product. Some colors play well with others, and some, not so much.

[tweetquote text=”“When shooting, make sure the product or object you want to feature shines.” – Mark David, professional photographer”]

Before your shoot, confirm with your team which products you’re capturing — make a shot list to help — and spend an hour or so auditing the colors of each. If you have a wide range of product colors, you can decide on multiple backgrounds to experiment with throughout the shoot.

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A white background is a ‘safe’ choice but can come with some disadvantages, which we’ll discuss below. A light or neutral color also works great for most products.

“If the product you’re shooting has a lot of warm tones, a cool color for the background could help the item really stand out. Using a light background with a dark color product (or vice versa) would give your image a lot of contrast, which is especially useful when shooting product imagery for a website,” says design manager of Nations Photo Lab, Niki Maro. “Alternately; matching a product and background with similar tones would make a much calmer, more nuanced image that could look more sophisticated but have less pop.”

Whatever background color you choose, you want to be able to clearly see your product. If the background overshadows the product or makes it difficult to see, that’s a clear sign you’ll want to try something different.

“When shooting, make sure the product or object you want to feature shines,” says professional photographer Mark David. ”The backdrop should never distract the viewer’s eye from the main subject. You don’t want loud, patterned backdrops.”

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Finding the right balance comes down to experimentation. Keep in mind that you can always change the background color in post-production using a color change service if the shoot doesn’t go exactly according to plan.

Additional considerations when choosing colors for your product background

While product color has perhaps the largest impact on which color background you should use during your shoot, there are some other considerations to take into account as well.

Models vs. no models

More than half of the top fashion websites use people in their product photos — and most use a mix of plain background and lifestyle product photography. Models can undoubtedly help further enhance your product photos by showing what they look like in real life. If you plan to use models during your shoot, it’s crucial to consider model hairstyles, clothing, and even skin tone.

Remember, models play an important role in highlighting your products. But in most cases, they shouldn’t be the main focus.

Spend time with your team and photographer and think through how your model’s hairstyle, clothing, and skin tone work with your background color to make your products shine. When possible, establish who your models are in advance, as well as which background colors you’re hoping to use.

Additionally, before your shoot, it’s helpful to create multiple looks and themes beforehand, so you know what to expect. Working with a stylist can also help ensure your models and products complement one another as well. If you do want your models to be the focus of your shoot, consider using less “flashy” colors to keep the focus on them. “Make sure your model wears non-distracting clothes — solid color is best — and photograph somewhere with a background that isn’t too busy,” says professional photographer Nick Agro.

Sometimes, shoots with models require more than just a solid color background. Lifestyle photography can also have contextual backgrounds, in which case it’s still important to consider which colors will appear.

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Lighting

In addition to considering your products colors and models (if you plan on having any), don’t overlook the importance of lighting to enhance your photos. Effective use of lighting can often be the difference between a ‘meh” product shoot and one that has your team beaming with pride.

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Will your shoot location have natural light? Or will you rely heavily on flash or indoor lighting? If shooting outside, don’t forget to plan around the weather as that can significantly impact your overall lighting. Having a backup location is always a great way to plan for the unexpected.

According to HubSpot, product shots do well in natural light if:

“Think about the overall feeling or mood you want to portray and use a light source to match. You can use harsh direct light for an edgier feel, or go with soft light from a window for a more subdued tone,” says professional photographer Nick Agro.

At the end of the day, he says simple is better. “Props can add a lot to your shoot, but if overdone, you’ll overshadow your product,” he says.

Pro tip: Take more shots than you think you need

Photoshoots require a lot of time and resources to pull off, which is why it’s a good idea to take more shots than you think you need. Experiment with different lighting and try different angles. The more photos you have, the more options you have during post-production.

It’s better to spend a little more time on the shoot and have more photos than you need than wishing you had when you start post-production. Besides, you can always cull them later.

What is the best color for your product background?

While there are many ‘best practices’ out there to help choose the right colors, not all products (and backgrounds) are created equal. Rely on your photographer’s direction and go into the shoot with a few different options to avoid wasting a day of shooting.

When you want to add some color to the background, consider how those colors may affect online shoppers. Are they complementary to the colors of your product and brand? Will they persuade shoppers to buy? Do they resonate with your brand? You might also need to add color to the background of white or transparent products.

In North American culture, for example, “the color blue creates a feeling of trust but also encourages appetite. Green supposedly means nature, freshness, growth, and money. Yellow brings with it sunshine and happiness.”

While color is important, the truth is, there is no “best color.” The colors you choose depend on what you’re trying to convey with your product photos. This requires some strategic planning before your shoot.

As the CXL Institute notes in their research on button color for conversion rates, “The color of the button has little-to-no effect on its own. What’s more important is how it changes the visual hierarchy of the page and how it makes the call-to-action stand out.”

Ultimately, “Whether it’s portrait or product photography — or anything in between — always consider the subject of the photo and what feeling it will evoke for the viewer, both alone and in context of the frame […] “It has to work with the subject,” says Mark David.

Should you use a white background?

White is the most common background color by default, and for good reason. It works well with most color combinations and doesn’t require heavy edits. Put simply, it’s a safe bet.

Additionally, many ecommerce marketplaces, like Amazon, require at least one product photo to have a white background. So when shooting, it makes sense to incorporate several background colors.

“If you want the product to be the star of the photo or need the image for a design with a lot of imagery or text (such as a website or an email) using white/light neutral background colors helps keep the end result looking cleaner. If the display size of an image is relatively small, this is a much safer bet. Also, a lot of colors in an image creates larger file sizes. If you are worried about the load time on your website, white backgrounds may help decrease the overall amount of data size,” says Maro.

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While a white background color is a common choice, the problem, however, is it’s easy to get ‘lost.’ Some creative professionals and even consumers believe white backgrounds to be a little ‘boring.”

Even a slight variation from white can help you stand out. Additionally, if your product is white, it can require a bit of editing and lighting to get right when using a white background.

There’s certainly nothing wrong with using a few different colored backgrounds to see which one looks best, but a white background does have it’s advantages.

“If I was photographing a technology product, the first thing that comes to mind is a pure white background or a plain background,” says Mark David.

Complement your brand colors

To get the most from your product photos, don’t forget that they need to go well with your brand colors. The last thing you want is to have a handful of quality photos that don’t match your website and brand color theme.

This is why planning your shoot beforehand is so important.

Using a tool like HTML Color Codes gives you an idea of which colors work best together.

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Consider where your product photos will be shown

Not only do your product photos need to look great on your own website, but you also need to consider the context of your photos for other placements such as an in-store display and on social media.

Social media: a neutral background is often a safe bet, but feel free to experiment with more ‘creative designs’ during post-production. Throughout the shoot, keep in mind the optimal image sizes for sharing on social media channels. You can also crop, add filters, and get extra creative when posting product photos on Instagram (or even Snapchat) using the editing tools available for each platform.

Remember, your product shoot can be a great time to create quality digital assets for marketing and helpful for repurposing your image assets in the future.

In-store signage and displays: If you plan on using your product photos for in-store displays and signage, make sure you’re considering that during your shoot. In-store displays typically need to highlight your product’s main benefits and pricing in an easy to read manner and often rely heavily on text.

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Catalogs: Despite two decades of email and social media marketing stealing the show, catalog mailings have been steadily increasing since 2015. If you plan on using your photos in a catalog, spend part of your shoot with that in mind. With catalogs specifically, lighting and consistency of colors is especially important.

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Ultimately, regardless of where your photos will be shown, context matters: 37% of online shoppers want to see your products contextually. When shoppers can see the product in use, they can envision using it in their own lives.

Start with neutral colors

As we’ve previously shared, “the safest play and closest to a standard white background, neutrals like off-white, gray or beige can highlight your products online. The neutrals won’t distract from your product, but it also allows you to apply a different visual aesthetic.”

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You can experiment with other background colors and textures as you get a better feel for how your products look when using a strong foundation such as white or neutral colors. Don’t feel as if you have to be perfect from the start; you’ll slowly get a better idea of what works each time you have a photoshoot.

If you’re looking for more options to consider, we wrote an in-depth article on nine alternatives to white backgrounds. You can read the article here.

Align with your ecommerce platform guidelines

Having photos look great is important for making your products stand out, but keep in mind that different ecommerce platforms have different guidelines.

If you’re selling products on eBay, for example, they currently require product photos to have a white or gray background. While not directly related to the color of your photos, you also want to make sure your images are high quality at the required image sizes for each specific platform.

Before your shoot, get familiar with the requirements of the main platforms you intend to use to showcase your products. Here are the latest requirements for Amazon, for example.

Post-production essentials

We’ve covered a lot of ground so far. By making just a few adjustments to what color background you use, you can dramatically improve your shoot’s quality and success. That said, even with the perfect product photos, post-production is crucial for taking your photos the last mile.

Just as a well-written book goes through hours and hours of editing, quality product photos require editing as well.

In post-production, you’ll want to edit and tweak the lighting, size of your photos, and make any additional edits such as cropping. While post-production can often help you ‘save’ a poorly executed photoshoot, you want to make post-production as easy as possible with proper planning and a clear strategy for your shoot.

Bad lighting the day of the shoot? No problem, you can use a photo editing tool to help improve the lighting.

Capture a few unwanted items in the background while shooting? You can remove those as well in post-production.

Adding color backgrounds after the shoot

One of the most powerful aspects of post-production is the ability to change the background color you used during your shoot. Sometimes you just won’t have the perfect colored material when shooting—that’s okay! If you can’t find the colors you need, you can always add the color afterward. We have an excellent tutorial on how to add color to your product images in case your shoot didn’t go as planned.

While there are some great tools (both free and paid) online, don’t make the mistake of taking post-production lightly. Just as post-production can make your photos jump off the page, poor post-production can make a great shoot average.

Though it sometimes feels like the actual shoot is the most challenging part, there’s a lot of “little things” that go into getting it right. If you’re unhappy with how your product photos turned out, or need help making your backgrounds look better, our team of designers can help.

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Mistakes happen. Some might even say it’s human to err (rather, Alexander Pope said that one, but whatevs, it still applies in the 21st century).

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But when it comes to Photoshop fails, is it human or machine to err?

Photoshop fails happen with new editors learning the ropes as well as with seasoned photo editors. No one is immune or safe. If we break it down, it can happen if you’re on a tight deadline, have way too many photos to go through, you’re not paying attention to detail, direction isn’t clear, or if you’re using automation and AI to do it for you.

In this article:

• What is a Photoshop fail?
• How Photoshop fails happen
• Why Photoshop fails are bad for business
• How to avoid Photoshop fails
• The caveat … with a big-fat* disclaimer
• Just (don’t) do it

What is a Photoshop fail?

A Photoshop fail is when there’s a glaring mistake on a photo or image that has been edited with Adobe Photoshop or any other photo editing software. But sometimes the mistakes are in the details. It can be retouching gone wrong, wanting to slim down a model and not taking into account proper body proportions, or even touching up photos but forgetting about the shadows. The list of fails is endless.

Either someone only ever has “left arm day” at the gym or someone’s arm was slimmed down a bit too much.

 

Does something seem weird with her fingers, or is it just me?

Is that your third hand?

The devil is in the details and the detail here is forgetting to also remove the shadows.

Photoshop fails really became popular with overzealous fashion brands like Victoria’s Secret wanting to make their “angels” appear even more slender and perfect. These haven’t always worked in their favor, as savvy consumers can quickly spot the touch-up faux pas.

These mistakes aren’t exclusive to human models. They can also happen in product photography. If you outsource your editing to low-quality service providers, they may either rush through the job or use automation and artificial intelligence (AI) to edit your images.

How Photoshop fails happen

Photoshop fails almost always happen by mistake, especially when it comes to professional product photos. The most common reasons are because of inattention to detail, bad direction, no post-edits reviews, and using AI instead of humans.

The lesson here is to simply not use AI. The apps are great for quick edits on your personal social media feed, but when it comes to product photography or images you’re using to promote your brand, nothing beats having a real human taking the time to ensure flawless work. After all, your photos are your customer’s first impression of your brand and products. You gotta make it count.

If you’re going to ghost a mannequin, don’t forget the hands. This one looks angry about it.

Is this what it means to have one foot out the door?

Psssst… here's how you know if you're bad at Photoshop:
✘  you don't use layers
✘  you delete or erase instead of masking
✘  you use filters like you're a teen on Snapchat
✘  you don't know what any of the above means

Why Photoshop fails are bad for business

Photoshop fails are bad for business because they misrepresent your products and your brand, which ultimately hurts your brand image, consumer trust, and your bottom line. Yikes.

No matter how small the mistake, someone will notice. Unfortunately, thanks to social media and smartphones, mistakes are given way too much air time and the bigger the mistake the more viral it might go. You may even become a meme. And once you’ve made a mistake, your brand will never live it down and everything you post will be scrutinized forevermore.

The real detriment is that everyone will be so focused on the error that your product won’t get the attention it deserves. It will sometimes also lead to customers thinking your product is fake or poor quality (or both). The bottom line, it leaves a negative impression of your brand and that’s hard to come back from.

This caption would read very different if the cut/paste on this photo wasn’t so obvious

The easiest way to replace your models is to cut/paste new faces directly onto them

How to avoid Photoshop fails

Luckily, it’s easy to avoid Photoshop fails if you put proper processes and quality control in place.

Ensure humans are completing the bulk of the work and reviewing all the work so no errors slip through. Our designers do every edit by hand because we know how important every detail is, no matter how small the edit is.

The other way to avoid mistakes is to review direction or scope of work so that all the edits being requested are clear. And reviewing post-edit images can make all the difference in the world, even if that sometimes means having a second or third person look at them. Because when you spend a long time working on a project, you can’t always catch every single detail. It happens to all of us, so don’t be afraid to ask.

Working with editors you trust is also paramount to having consistently great product photography. Once you’ve found an editor that understands your work and that produces great edits, this relationship will go a long way in having beautiful photos that truly represent your brand.

These are applicable whether you’re doing the edits in-house or outsourcing to a third party. Not sure which is the better option for your business? Here’s a helpful article.

Something doesn’t add up here…

Perfect if you’re going for a natural smile.

I think I saw this movie… it didn’t end well for her family.

The caveat… with a big-fat * disclaimer

Sometimes – and we mean sometimes – Photoshop fails are done on purpose.

This is the point where you’re probably like